Jimmy Kimmel’s Return: A Closer Look
EXCLUSIVE: This Tuesday marks the much-anticipated return of Jimmy Kimmel to late-night television, but it didn’t come easy. His comeback was the result of a whirlwind of meetings and negotiations involving Disney’s top executives, which didn’t culminate until Monday morning.
One insider shared with Deadline that there was a strong desire among the team to make the right decision for the company. Talks took place directly between Disney CEO Bob Iger, Disney Entertainment’s Dana Walden, and Kimmel, along with his group. The final okay for Kimmel’s jump back onto the long-running Jimmy Kimmel Live! happened after a last-minute barrage of texts, calls, and paperwork exchanged earlier today.
Starting from when Jimmy Kimmel Live! was abruptly “preempted indefinitely” following his comments about Donald Trump and reactions to the shooting of activist Charlie Kirk, discussions momentum built through the weekend until a deal was finally struck today. This came amidst protests outside Disney’s headquarters and further critiques from Trump at Kirk’s memorial.
“Jimmy will have the freedom to say what he wants,” a source commented on whether any restrictions were imposed as part of his reinstatement.
Both Kimmel’s reps and Disney’s spokespeople have remained tight-lipped regarding specifics of what was negotiated, apart from the announcement confirming Kimmel’s return.
The show will be back live on September 23, featuring a packed audience in the Hollywood studio. Initial reports indicate that frequent foil Matt Damon won’t be appearing on the show Tuesday, although this may change in the upcoming days.
As for the reactions of affiliate owners Sinclair and Nexstar, who pulled Kimmel from their stations citing his comments on Kirk’s unfortunate passing, it remains to be seen whether they will show Live! this week. Interestingly, Trump chose not to comment on Kimmel’s situation during remarks about autism benefits earlier today, even though he usually interacts via social media.
Conversely, Howard Stern did not hold back his critique regarding Kimmel’s hiatus and even asked for the cancellation of Disney+. Others within ABC, like Whoopi Goldberg on The View, publicly voiced their opinions. Conservative host Alyssa Farah Griffin stated, “The First Amendment exists for a reason—to hold those in power accountable!”. This was echoed by a letter from the ACLU, which carried the signatures of over 400 notable figures including Disney stars like Meryl Streep and Selena Gomez.
On Wall Street, the company’s stock has taken a slight downturn as well.
Reports indicate dissatisfaction among Disney’s leadership concerning Kimmel’s “pseudo suspension,” which was seen as damaging, especially given Iger’s concerns about maintaining a strong legacy in Hollywood. Yet, those close to the discussions insist that external pressures didn’t significantly impact the resolution.
According to a key participant in the Kimmel/Disney discussions, “It got so chaotic that the only choice was to sort this out quickly.”
As for Kimmel, viewers can expect to hear from him on Tuesday night regarding everything that transpired over the past week, especially pertaining to Trump’s negative remarks about his performance and viewership ratings.
In a related vein, this situation could potentially disrupt plans for the upcoming episode of South Park, which already postponed last week’s installment due to current events—though that’s an issue for Paramount, not Disney.
